It's Not Turkey Day

 

I don’t know why I seem to be so obsessed with Thanksgiving this year, or to be more precise, with Thanksgiving memories and an aspect of the holiday that is fading away, a process I’ve watched for decades, eclipsed by football, gluttony, and Black Friday as the historical framework became more and more problematic and the faith facet of gratitude just shriveled away. I’ve never been a huge Thanksgiving guy (I think I’ve written the word ‘Thanksgiving’ more in these posts than I have in the last 30 years) but I’ve felt the need to scratch together all my old cultural memories (once more attached to things rather than actual experiences) into one tidy little bundle. To that end, here are three poems connected with the holiday that I’ve known since I was small. “Over the River” started life as a Christmas song and is here slightly abridged. “We Gather Together” was originally written in Dutch and had nothing but gratitude to God, literally giving thanks, in common with our American holiday. I think this will be the last post on the subject for a while. (See how cleverly I avoided writing out ‘Thanksgiving’ again … oh, dash it all!)

Over the River and Through the Woods

By Lydia Maria Child (1884)

 

Over the river and through the woods

To grandmother’s house we go.

The horse knows the way to carry the sleigh
Through the white and drifting snow.

Over the river and through the woods,
Oh how the wind does blow.
It stings the toes and bites the nose,
As over the ground we go.

Over the river and through the woods

and straight through the barnyard gate
We seem to go extremely slow
It is ever so hard to wait.

Over the river and through the woods,
Now grandmother's cap I spy,
Hurrah for the fun, the pudding is done,
Hurrah for pumpkin pie!

Over the river and through the woods,
To grandmother’s house we go!

A Turkey Sat on the Backyard Fence

(Unknown Composer & Date)

 A Turkey sat on the backyard fence
and he sang a sad, sad tune.
 
Thanksgiving Day is coming 
Gobble, gobble, gobble, gobble
and I know I'll be eaten soo-oo-oon,
 
Gobble, Gobble, Gobble, Gobble, Gobble, Gobble, Gobble
I don't like Thanksgiving Day-ay-ay.
 
Gobble, Gobble, Gobble, Gobble, Gobble, Gobble, Gobble
I think I'll run away-ay-ay.

We Gather Together to Ask the Lord’s Blessing

(Adrianus Valerius, 1597; tr. by Theodore Baker, 1894)

 We gather together to ask the Lord's blessing;
He chastens and hastens His will to make known;
the wicked oppressing now cease from distressing.
Sing praises to His name, He forgets not His own.

 Beside us to guide us, our God with us joining,
ordaining, maintaining His kingdom divine;
so from the beginning the fight we were winning:
the Lord was at our side- the glory be Thine!

 We all do extol Thee, Thou leader triumphant,
and pray that Thou still our defender wilt be.
Let Thy congregation escape tribulation;
Thy name be ever praised! O Lord, make us free!